The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1887-11-02
Subscription Rates.
The Catholic World for November de-

The Catholic World for November de-
votes nearly three pages of it's valuable
space to a review of THE Prison MIRROR,
quoting Largely from its issue of Aug. "a.
from which we clip the following:
This is the first newspaper of it's kind that is
owned, edited. and published by the prisoners of
n penitentiary we have ever seen or heard of, and
first impression is that it is the very latest adj
vance in the line of christian charity. What in
deed. can show that we look upon our prise GERS
brethren s much as this recognition of their
right to a journal that will enable them to COM
municate with not only each other but with the
world at large? They are our brothers, weaker
than ourselves perhaps, ! erhaps SIMPLY less
shrewd or fortunate in escaping that "whipping'
which the poet says woul be dealt out to all of us
if we got our ''deserts" AS the spirit of democ-
racy advances, that of christianity seems to find
freer and fuller expression, and we carry the prin-
ciple of the Ayrshire poet "a mans man for a
that TO a degree reached only by the hottest in
other times. 1t publishes informa ton
about the prison, much of which is interesting to
the general public, and very little of which they
had the of ascertaining before. = =
While the chaplains preach and practice charity,
the warden carries out their doctrine and extends
its working to the leveling up of the poor unfor-
Inmates that have hitherto considered themselves
in the light of pariahs and hopeless outcasts who
could never again expect to be treated like men.
If man has literary ability, surely here's
the place tor it's development as the example of
Cervantes and Eunyan both assure us. The
writer remembers having once asked an educated
gentleman, who was in prison on a two years SEN
tence for crime resulting from drink. how he
liked his life there. Father" he replied. Il
thank Goa for be ng delivered from the coca sion
of sin; and, for the rest, made the spirit
ual exercises well as 1 am making them here.
The Lord has dealt kindly with me. and feel very
happy, thanks tie to God!' We hope
that with due control it may succeed not only in
raising the tone OF the prison and giving hope and
manliness to the inmates but may interest the
public in the internal management of these in
situations. How few there that ever bother
their heads about how their brethren are getting
on inside the penitentiary. They pay their taxes
grumblingy and think their duty done. Is it
really done? Do we fulfil the work of mercy that
consists in visiting the sick and the prisoner, by
handing him to the politicians and their fol-
lowers, never ourselves inquirrg how these do
their duty? newspaper such MS this will do
much to remedy our neglect newspapers are now
our ordinary, almost exclusive, means of infor-
mation.) and by enightening US and ex citing our
interest form sound public opinion that will re-
act on the management of the jails and hold their
officers to just and christian conduct in the ir
we ghty charge.
We feel that many will not be so favorably
affected; that some will slight, some condemn
this novelty in journalism; but it seems to us
something worthy of encouragement, under prop
er censorship, of course ia thing that were true
OF the press universally for it will tend to make
Our poor weak brethren feel that they are still
recognized as men, not considered as dogs; and
we hold it to be a sound principle that the best
way 10 make man what you would have him to
be is to treat him as if the making of it at least
were it n him.